Peppermint Winter
by imaginarydaydreams
Summary: Pairing: Ray x Custom MC; Ray invites you to the gardens for a picnic. He's always doing something for you, but little does he know that you have something just for him this time.


**A/N:** Written as a Christmas present for a tumblr friend; MC's name is Chris (for Chris-mas lmao okay I'm sorry I'm still alive I swear)

* * *

You know, when Ray told you that he wanted to have a picnic in the garden with you to celebrate your fourth day at… at this place, you were expecting just a simple walk, maybe some tea and cookies together.

Not, uh…not this.

You stared at the large feast laid out before you, eying it a little cautiously as you took a sip from the steaming cup of white tea held tightly between your hands. Your eyes trailed over the beautiful spread while taking in the subtle notes of citrus mingling with the peach of the tea; there was so much sweets and foods spread out across the table, some of which you didn't know the names of. They all looked so delicious, and yet so painstakingly put together, that you were afraid to ask just how long it took just to prepare them.

Your gaze flickered back and forth between the table and your companion, who was humming to himself as he took another slice from the lemon poppy seed cake. He looked up for a split second at you, and you swore that his eyes lit up a little brighter, that serene smile of his widening just a fraction more.

Silence passed for a few more moments before Ray finally spoke up, "It really is such a wonderful time for tea, don't you agree?" He set his cup down onto the saucer before looking up at you, hands folded neatly atop the table.

"I'll say," you said, looking out at the stars that twinkled across the dark blanket of the night, "The stars are shining so brightly tonight! You can really see them clearly here; it's so breath-taking!"

"Not as breath-taking as you though, Chris," He said casually, eyes still trained on your figure. You immediately turned to look back at him, cheeks flushing at the compliment and mouth slightly agape as you struggled to think of words. He only laughed, a wonderfully brilliant sound, as he gave you another grin, "You look so cute when you blush, too!" Which only earned him another one of your cute blushes in turn.

"Ha…haha…ha, you're, uh, you're too kind…" You laughed, avoiding his gaze, still clearly embarrassed. Your eyes darted around quickly, looking for something, anything to change the subject before he spouted another compliment. You just decided to ask him the one question that plagued you ever since you got here and hoped for the best. "Hey, Ray?" You said, looking up at him.

"Yes, my dear Chris?" God, that cute pet name…

"Why…" You felt your cheeks flush again, but ignored it for the time being, "Why do you do all of this—" you gestured towards the table— "for me?"

The question certainly caught him off-guard, but he regained his composure quickly and gave you that ever patient smile that he always had. "I only wish for you to be happy, Chris, that's all there is to it. Seeing you happy is worth any effort."

Your gaze faltered as you turned your attention to fiddling with a lock of your hair, looking down at the fabulous array of food and trying not to focus on just how red your cheeks most likely were. You stared intently at the chocolate cake nearest to you, thinking about just how much time must have gone into making it. It must have been a while, right? You smiled wistfully, reaching for your tea cup, "…You really are amazing to be able to do all of this for me, Ray," you muttered, bringing it close to your lips to take another sip, "I really mean that."

You took a sip, then looked up after a few seconds of silence. You weren't sure what you were expecting but it certainly wasn't the faint blush that slowly started blooming across his face. He looked so innocent, so adorable.

…Wait, what?

The two of you continued to look at each other until a childish wonder shone in his eyes, a hopeful excitement making its way onto his features.

"Really!?"

His tone didn't betray anything either.

A sweet laugh left his lips as he shook his head, "And you really are too kind and amazing to say such things, Chris. I'm supposed to be the one spoiling you, not the other way around." He chuckled, and you swore you heard a hint of melancholy laced in his voice, "After all, I really haven't done anything to deserve such sweet words from your lips…"

You frowned slightly at that last statement. He didn't truly believe that, did he? Your eyes dropped back down to the banquet before you, brows furrowing as you contemplated his words.

No matter what he told you, you knew that he did so much to ensure your happiness, despite his busy schedule. From the moment that you woke up to the moment that you fell asleep, he always tried to check up on you at least three times a day, making sure you had your meals, asking how your day was going, or telling you of all the things he wanted to do with you. Sure, he always had something to say about those two AIs, 707 and V, but he always genuinely seemed to love chatting with you. You weren't quite sure why, but the fact that he wanted nothing but to make you happy…that…that made your heart flutter ever so slightly, the more you thought about it. He did so much for you, not expecting anything in return. You just wanted to return his kindness at least once.

Your eyes returned back to him as you thought about something else that sat at the back of your mind.

Should you go get it now? Or just wait for another time?

…

Screw it.

You got up from your seat, earning yourself a questioning, almost panicked look from Ray as he watched you leave your seat and turn towards the steps of the gazebo. "Chris? Is there something wrong?"

"Ah, it's nothing," You lied, chuckling sheepishly as you rubbed your arm absent-mindedly. "I just have to go get something; I think I left it somewhere around in the garden."

His eyes narrowed in concern, beginning to rise from his seat, "Well, if you lost something, I can find it for you; it's cold, after all, and I don't want you wandering around where you could get sick—"

"NO!" His eyes widen at your sudden outburst, staring at you with even more confusion and concern than before. A silence fell over the two of you; after a few seconds, you laughed nervously and darted your eyes to look at anything but him, "N-no, it's fine; I'm sure it's around here somewhere, ahahaha…." He said nothing as you turned to walk down the steps, watching you intently as you began to turn right, through the hedge walls.

"Oh, and, uh, close your eyes, Ray!" You poked your head back around the corner, looking him in the eyes and waiting. He obeyed your request, eyes sliding shut, chuckling slightly when he heard you huff a "and make sure they stay closed!"

You were so cute sometimes.

…Wait, what?

He listened as your footsteps faded into the distance, followed by a moment of silence that followed as he waited patiently for you to return. At first, it wasn't too bad; he trusted that you would be quick about it. But as seconds turned into minutes, the anxiety of waiting started to catch up with him. He started thinking of different scenarios—Did the RFA members somehow capture you? Did you not enjoy his company, but were just too polite to say otherwise? He knew it, he shouldn't have overstepped his boundaries, he shouldn't have let you out of his sight, he messed up, and now you were either gone or you hated him!

He was about to open his eyes and go find you himself when he heard the faint echoes of your voice coming closer towards him, "God, I'm so sorry!" You sounded almost out of breath, as if you'd been running around. "I almost forgot where I put it and I needed to add just a fe-e-ew~ small details!" He re-shut his eyes as he heard your rushed steps echo throughout the silent garden and against the wood of the gazebo steps until he could almost feel your presence near him.

"And…Tada!" Your voice was so close. "Go ahead and open your eyes!"

He opened his eyes slowly, only to be greeted with the sight of a rather large bouquet held tightly between two slightly trembling hands. He stared intently, mouth agape, at the flowers, the colors swirling together in a flurry of reds, purples, and whites, a few greens thrown into the mix. He recognized a few of the flowers—Snowdrops, Stargazers, Lily of the Valley…

"I…I wanted to give you a bouquet like the one you gave to me when I first came here." Your voice interrupted his thoughts, turning his attention back towards you. "After all, Ray, you've been so kind and caring towards me, making sure all of my needs are tended to…I know that you're extremely busy, but you always somehow manage to make time to spend with me." He couldn't tell if it was just his imagination, but he could just faintly see the smallest trace of red painting your cheeks as you smiled shyly at him. "I just…I just want to show you that I appreciate everything that you do for me.

"I remember you told me once that you were trying to learn flower language. I might not be the best—in fact, this is my first time making a bouquet, ahaha—but I researched various flower types and their meanings and tried to build a bouquet that I felt best represented you and how I feel. Thankfully there were many flowers growing here in the gardens, but, ah, it was kind of hard to make this behind your back. Here—" You shifted the bouquet carefully into the crook of your arm and, with your newly freed hand, gestured to the various flowers that decorated the bunch. "There's **Snowdrops** , **Lily of the Valley, Baby's Breath, Alyssum, Stargazers** , a flower called Ran…uh, **Ranunculus**?" You scrunched your nose slightly—god, so adorable—as you tried to recall, face lighting up as you seemed to remember, "Yeah, that's the name; and then there's some **sage** and sprigs of **mint** mixed in—ahaha, get it? Sprigs of mint? Mint Eye?"

As you continued to giggle at your little joke, he just continued to stare at the outstretched bouquet in your hands, all words stuck on his tongue. It was clear that this was your first time doing this, as you said—the bouquet looked a little hastily made; some of the flowers were cut unevenly, it was a little too packed with variety—but at the same time…this had been the first time that someone had done something like this for him.

He had been content with giving you the world at whatever cost and receiving nothing in return. You were his precious tester, the one person who had wholeheartedly trusted him based on his words alone. Your words, your little actions through the day, the chats you shared in the messenger—he treasured all of those precious memories, memories that he made with you. It was that gift alone that you gave to him every day, the mere gift of your presence, that made him want to work harder than ever, just to glimpse a time in his busy schedule dedicated to just you and him. Why he was willing to dedicate his entire existence to you, even, if you so asked. He knew that somewhere along the way, his feelings for you had grew into something more, but he was content as long as you just stayed by his side in this paradise.

So to have a gift presented to him by his dear angel? He never allowed himself to dare dream of such a possibility.

And yet, here you both were, you clutching the very thing that he so desperately wished for tightly in your hands, such a warm smile gently framing your soft features…

"Ray!?" Your panicked voice snapped him out of his reverie just enough for him to see your face change from a serene smile to concerned shock. You set the bouquet down on the table and quickly rushed up to him, "Oh god, are you okay? I didn't do anything to hurt or offend you, did I?" You reached out to caress his face, brushing away what seemed like tears. Since when did he start crying…?

You were about to pull away to grab a napkin when he gently held your hand in place. You stayed still, albeit turning to face him. You watched as he took your hand in both of his, bringing them to his chest, where you felt the faint but rapid beating of his heart. "My dear Christa," he began, "You don't realize how happy you make me." You looked up at him, his eyes never leaving yours and his gaze never wavering. That soft smile was again shining, but where there were traces of loneliness and melancholy, there was sincerity…and more importantly, a glimmer of hope. "I want to cherish this moment, this memory, with you for the rest of my life. I want to continue to only make happy memories with you…!" He clutched your hand tighter to his chest. "Even if this is a dream, I never want to wake up…"

You didn't notice that you were leaning towards him, him doing the same, until your lips brushed against each other slightly. You pulled away slightly, eyes half-lidded and a little dazed, him the same, before the both of you leaned in again for a longer, sweeter kiss, you clinging to his neck as he cradled your head with one hand and rested the other against your waist. As you two pulled away again, he moved a hand to brush away your bangs and pressed a soft kiss against your forehead before resting his own against yours.

 _"I'm probably being selfish just by saying this, my dear Christa,"_ he whispered against your hair, _"But…you truly are my angel, the light of my life. I really do hope that this paradise with just the two of us never ends."_

* * *

Notes:

 **Alyssum:** _Worth Beyond Beauty_

 **Baby's Breath:** _Innocence, Pure of Heart, Everlasting Love_

 **Lily of the Valley:** _Return of Happiness_

 **Mint:** _Virtue_

 **Ranunculus:** _You are radiant with charms / I am dazzled by your charms_

 **Sage:** _Esteem, Domestic Virtue_

 **Snowdrop:** _Hope, Consolation/Sympathy, Rebirth, Purity_

 **Stargazer Lily:** _(Spiritual) Purity, Optimism, Heaven on Earth, Opportunity, Prosperity_

So this is pretty much my version of MC telling Ray that she thinks he's worth the world and wants to help him start over/build a new life filled with happiness.


End file.
